Teaching Team

Matt — Philosophy/Debate, Analytical Writing, Latin & Senior Seminar

Matt grew up in Idaho. He has a BA in Classics (ancient Greek and Latin) from the University of Oregon and a PhD in Comparative Literature from Princeton University. His dissertation is a global study of oral poetry and music in ancient and traditional cultures. He has taught a wide range of literature, language, and writing courses at St. Peter’s College, Deep Springs College, Rutgers University, and Whitman College. He translates Latin poetry and Italian academic prose.

Matt has taught in a lot of big and small universities and likes the size here at FlexSchool. “We are making it work as we go. We are inventing every day, not shackled by bureaucracy or politics or unions. We are teachers, kids, and parents making a happy place of learning for our students.”

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Matt found his way in the world through inspiring teachers; he loved learning and loves being around young people. All their work in class allows them to “invent and imagine the world” and it makes for a fun, challenging environment every day.

Bob — History

Bob has an undergraduate degree in history with a minor in literature and a masters in European history, all from Rutgers. Bob was a member of ROTC during college and then an officer in an elite Army Ranger Paratrooper unit. He has been a history teacher, detective, and horse farmer, in pretty much that order.

He comes from a family of teachers: his father was a university professor, his mother a high school teacher and grandfather a renowned scientist and professor. Though he has worn many hats, those professions came back to instructing, training or advising young people. FlexSchool is the perfect place – with the freedom to teach in an unencumbered way.

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“Teachers have the latitude to use materials they think are relevant to the lesson at hand.”

Bob had a special moment after giving a talk about the Armenian genocide in World War I. “I had brought some Middle-Eastern food in for the students to sample; I overheard one of the students, whom I thought wouldn’t necessarily appreciate the food, explain to his mom about one of the desserts – an apricot paste that he really enjoyed eating. He described it to her as a candy that tasted like a fruit. It was personally rewarding on a number of levels: one, to see that the kids actually enjoyed the food; two, that they got to experience something unusual; and, three, that because my ancestors were Armenian, it was especially meaningful to share food with others. There was an old expression during the mid-1900s that many American parents would say to encourage their children to finish their meals: ‘remember the starving Armenians.’ Now, through me, my ancestors are feeding others.”

Betty — Math

Betty has been teaching high school mathematics for more than twenty years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics and secondary education from San Pedro Nolasco University in Argentina, where she also worked for many years writing math curriculum for high school and adult education. Throughout her lengthy teaching career, she has taught everything from pre-algebra to calculus and statistics.

Betty sees FlexSchool as a place where learning and academics are taken seriously and are the priority.“We have seen kids change and become better, and it’s all done in a safe and warm environment.”

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She always knew she was going to be a teacher and views it as a special way of relating to people. She notes that you give a lot, you never lose what you give, and you get a lot too. The process of teaching and learning transforms both the giver and the receiver. “Someone taught you something, you learned it, it made you a better you, and now you teach to someone else, he/she will be better too.” As only a math teacher can joke, “It is more than powerful, it is exponential!”Betty loves the challenge of finding ways to communicate math ideas to all kinds of learners. “I’m not a native English speaker, so sometimes that adds to the challenge too.” For her, it does not matter how much the student may dislike or hate Math. “Math is not a set of rules to solve problems created by teachers to torture kids. Math is a way of understanding a very complex world. It makes sense since it is both truly beautiful and infinitely profound. Kids are smart; they’ll see it. My work starts with finding exactly where the kids are in this process: we walk together, we’ll work through it.”

Paul—Math/Computer Science and Italian/French

Paul teaches all levels of math, French, Italian, economics, and computer science from middle and high school through college. Paul grew up in the Wallonia (French-speaking southern region of Belgium) and graduated from the University of Mons, also in Belgium. Later, he pursued graduate business studies at Michigan State University where he worked as a teaching assistant in French.

Arpit — Science and Computer Lab

Arpit earned dual Bachelor’s degrees in Biological Sciences and Chemistry at Rutgers University in 2013. He has researched bacterial photosynthesis and is currently pursuing teaching degrees in Biological and Physical Sciences. Arpit is also converting some of the teachers to tea drinkers.

For Arpit, the students are the whole reason he’s here and he admires how the school provides an environment for them to thrive: being taught to critically analyze data, fathom holistic ideas and apply them. Naturally, he feels we’re just as rigorous as other institutions, if not more so.

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“Students are both pushed to reach their fullest potential and gently guided through scaffolding lessons. I for one, go out of my way to routinely talk to each student and really get to know them. “

Arpit feels FlexSchool is truly a fun place to teach and values how the small classes allow him to teach to each student’s strengths and adjust lessons to suit their needs. “The environment here is such that students may share all their thoughts and, as a result, I know each student’s strengths, weaknesses, interests, dislikes, hobbies, and opinions about a myriad of topics and can relate materials to what suits each student.”

“In addition to the students, the staff here truly makes this place shine.” Staff members enjoy collaborating with each other —bouncing back ideas, planning interdisciplinary projects and managing plans for each student and that fit his style to a tee. “We work tirelessly to help each learner thrive academically. “

Arpit works tirelessly in and out of the school and his hobbies include reading fantasy and mystery novels, researching “immortal” cell lines, watching anime, practicing meditation and, martial arts, Shorinjiru karate, tai chi, and Kokikai Aikido, and drinking tea. “I am the resident “tea snob” and am currently in the process of trying to convert each staff member to my way.”

Patricia — Learning Specialist

Pat’s Ph.D. is in Human and Organization Development Systems from Fielding Graduate University. She has a BS in Education from Boston University and an MA in Communication Disorders, Learning Disabilities and Special Education from Montclair University. She also studied French for one semester at the Université de Montpellier in France. Pat worked for part of her career in business, where she headed up Training, Quality, and Change Management in three different companies. Her years teaching and serving on Child Study Teams as a case manager and Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant are the other half of her work. Pat enjoys nothing more than seeing students relax and enjoy building their strengths and self-esteem, loving life and its possibilities.

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Pat loves the sense of calm at FlexSchool and the overall atmosphere of total acceptance. “No chaos. No loud noises. Instant collaborative problem-solving. Students are respected and, therefore, respect flows all around. “

She came to teaching from a love of helping young people grow and be proud of themselves. The creativity and constant openness to new ideas, as well as total support of students at FlexSchool, allows her to support her passion.

Karen – Mandarin

Karen is a native Chinese language speaker. She started teaching Chinese both in Chinese schools and privately since 2009. Outside of teaching her interests include hiking and traveling and writing two blogs in Chinese.

Karen likes the need to tailor their curricula to each student’s needs and her favorite time of the year is the end of the school year when everyone can they all see the big progress they students have made through their hard work.

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“At the end of 2015, I went to China to visit my family for three weeks. Upon my return to U.S., my students surprised me with an adventure story they had imagined for my travels on the whiteboard. In the drawing, I had one dog, two cats, five rats, seven birds, two snakes, one elephant, six horses, two tigers, four lions, and 14 puppies.”

Lisa – ESL, Creative Writing, Advanced Psychology

Lisa holds a BA in Theology/Media Studies from Fordham University and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Tisch School of the Arts of New York University. She is a recipient of a New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship in Playwriting and has taught English as a Second Language, Creative Writing (Prose, Poetry, Drama), Public Speaking and Verbal Test Prep for many years. She enjoys traveling, reading, writing, sewing, and doing companion animal charity work.

Daniel – Creative Writing, Philosophy, Music, Art

Dan is a dedicated educator who has nineteen years of teaching experience. He graduated from Hamilton College with a BA in Creative Writing and a minor in Art History. Then he moved to New Haven in 1992 and earned his master’s degree in Theological Philosophy from the Yale Divinity School. After deciding to make New Haven his home, he became active in the art and music community. He began teaching as a poetry instructor at a magnet school where he ran Creative Writing workshops for high school students. Then he worked in a 19th-century style, multi-age classroom where he taught all subjects to elementary students. He established an interdisciplinary, project-based curriculum intended to connect events from the past to the present. On the high school level, Dan has taught American History, World History, and English Literature. He believes in teaching with passion, humor, and encouragement.

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In addition to being a teacher, Dan is a self-taught folk artist and prolific musician. To date, he has written over 600 songs. He has toured the UK and Ireland numerous times.Dan was drawn to FlexSchool because of the warm sense of community it creates for its students. Mostly, he admires the freedom the administration extends to both the faculty and the students to create a relaxed and creative atmosphere. He says, “I am not a fan of the compliance-based model of education. FlexSchool offers the opposite: the freedom for teachers and students to question and converse about the world around them. What better way to get students prepared for a future in higher education than to introduce them to a classroom that champions an inquiry-based pursuit of knowledge?”

Jesse – Science

Jesse is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Syracuse University in Science Education/Exercise Science. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Physiology from State University of New York and a Masters in Exercise Science from Syracuse University. When Jesse is not teaching, he enjoys weight lifting, strength training, and outdoor activities. He is currently investigating how to use genetics to predict athletic performance and his current reading material is how various stimuli can impact genetic expression or repression.

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Jesse enjoys FlexSchool because it gives him the opportunity to influence a cohort of gifted young people. While Jesse has enjoyed teaching at the collegiate level and found it quite rewarding, he feels younger students are more open to different concepts and learning styles.

Cheryl — Engineering and Physics

Cheryl began teaching after a 30-year career in traffic engineering, having previously served as Jersey City’s Director of Transportation and Newark’s Manager of Traffic and Signals. She received a BSCE from MIT, an MBA from Columbia University, and a PhD in Transportation from NJIT. Cheryl especially loves working with students, providing them with technical skills and teaching them how to harness their creativity to solve today’s problems. She is an entrepreneur, having founded Bandbox LLC, which markets innovative bicycle helmet-hats across the globe. She is also a competitive Scrabble player, currently ranked 10th in New Jersey. Cheryl lives in Tewksbury Township, New Jersey with her husband, 23-year-old daughter, two Arab horses, a Sheltie, a cat, a canary, and a fish.

Julian — Math

Julian Banks was valedictorian of his high school class, graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Chemical Engineering, a certification in Sustainable Energy Technology, and has completed his master’s degree in Environmental Engineering. He is currently working for Flex School, as a teacher, and as an adjunct instructor at St. Phillips College. He has been tutoring since he was in 2nd Grade and has a life-long love of learning and helping others to do the same. His passions are entrepreneurship, understanding how things work, and problem-solving. His latest hobby has been traveling the globe and working on his plans for taking over the world.

Don — Spanish

Don has worked in the field of education for over forty years. He earned a BS in Forestry and Wildlife Biology from Rutgers University and began his career as a volunteer in the Peace Corps/Honduras. Donald then earned an Ed.M. (Teaching, Curriculum, and Learning Environments) from Harvard University. He taught science and technology at Crossroads (Public) Middle School in South Brunswick, NJ for 27 years. Donald has worked at many educational institutions including Around the Corner (Cambridge, MA), Big Brothers/Big Sisters (Boston, MA), Children’s Home Society (Trenton, NJ), Educational Testing Services (Princeton, NJ), Indian Acres Camp (Fryeburg, ME), and Youth Empowerment Services (New Brunswick, NJ). Donald learned Spanish almost 40 years ago and currently studies French at Rutgers University. Donald resides in East Brunswick, NJ.

Amy — English, Social Studies, Learning Specialist

Amy holds an MA in Counseling from New York University as well as an MS in Education from Hunter College. Her undergraduate studies were at Binghamton University where she earned a BA in English. Amy served as an academic advisor and counselor at New York University and the City University of New York. She also taught at The Buckley School in New York City and Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights. As a teacher, Amy always believed in customizing the curriculum to best serve the needs of her students without compromising the content. She has extensive experience as a parent volunteer in the Westfield Public Schools. Amy’s dream educational environment is at FlexSchool where the students, parents and faculty work together to provide the best learning experience for our students.

Lisa — Yoga, Mindfulness

Lisa Altarescu is a passionate yoga and mindfulness teacher, student and practitioner. Lisa feels as though the practice of mindfulness is especially beneficial in youth in order for students to value themselves, their bodies, their minds and the present moment. She believes that mindful practice in youth is especially helpful for students to be more kind to one another, more compassionate and to feel less judged. Lisa has been working on mindful movement at FlexSchool New Haven and will be incorporating a mindfulness curriculum. Outside of Flexschool Lisa teaches Yoga and meditation full time and will shortly be licensed in physical therapy.

Andrea — Spanish

A native Spanish speaker, Andrea is a music therapist by training. She holds a bachelors degree in Music Therapy from Berklee College of Music. She has been working professionally with children and adults with disabilities, as well as aging adults since 2009. In 2015, Andrea was hired to help design and develop a grief program for the Latino community in the San Francisco Bay Area. There, she worked providing counseling and education in a culturally relevant and competent way. Andrea moved to New Haven in 2017 and began working for Flexschool that summer. She is passionate about teaching creatively and trying to reach each student by figuring out their unique strengths.

Kyomi — Japanese

Kyomi Hubert was born in Japan and lived there until she married her loving husband who was from Brooklyn, NY. She now lives in Millburn, NJ with him and their two children. She has taught Japanese language and culture for several years and joined FlexSchool in the 2016 school year.“FlexSchool makes it possible for its teachers to customize the curriculum and personalize the class for each individual student. At the weekly faculty meetings, I often find myself in awe to see how much each of the teachers know and care about each of the students. It is so inspiring as a teacher and so touching as a mother, myself.”

Maria — Learning Specialist

Maria brings twenty years’ experience as a teacher of the gifted and special educator to FlexSchool. Originally from New Jersey, Maria earned her BA in English from Fordham University and her JD from Villanova University School of Law. After her admission to the Pennsylvania bar, she co-founded and practiced at a private law firm. As the parent of a child identified as gifted, Maria reevaluated her career path and earned an MA in Education from New Jersey City University. She became a special educator at a public secondary school in Southeastern Pennsylvania, teaching students identified as special needs, gifted and 2e, including those identified on the autism spectrum. Maria also supported her students as a Mock Trial, Model UN, and Quiz Bowl Team Advisor and was recently able to put that experience to good use as a contestant on the TV game show Jeopardy!

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